What is the new best ballistic app
- Thread starter cheek9075
- Start date
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
I like Shooter. JBM is free and very Accurate also. Have been thinking about Applied Ballistics but not sure about the price. $29.99 . Would think anything Brian Litz did would be pretty good.
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I really really like BallisticsArc, but I'm just a hunter. I really like the map feature where I can drop pins and know the distance and come ups based on the terrain around me (mostly fields). Do any other apps have such a feature?
Bullet Flight has been verty good for me and is very user friendly. Many good apps available in today's world. My rangefinder has AB built into it and is very good as well.
Paul
Paul
ToddKS
Gold $$ Contributor
Hornady 4DOF, especially if you are using Hornady bullets. I have used Applied Ballistics as well. If using Applied Ballistics I would recommend using the custom drag models.
I am shooting Hornady bullets for most applications so 4DOF was an easy button for me personally.
I am running both in 5700 series Kestrels.
I am shooting Hornady bullets for most applications so 4DOF was an easy button for me personally.
I am running both in 5700 series Kestrels.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
What is the best way to do it as of today? Is a kestrel paired to an app or just a kestrel, or what else is out there? Which kestrel would you need for multiple guns to just select a yardage once your parameters are set up? Is there a rangefinder you set up with your components and it shows everything or what?
dcali
Bullet Maker
You really have to define what you consider to be "best". Under the covers, they're all basically the same. The difference is mostly bells and whistles.
There are a bunch of good, free, straightforward calculators out there. JBM is a classic. Shameless plug: I'm pretty happy with the one I wrote.
But honestly, they're all the same. It's just F = Ma. Pick what does what you want how you want for the price you want.
The ones that have a significant computational differences are:
- Hornady 4DOF. You are dependent on them for the data to use the "4th degree of freedom", which is a misnomer, but commonly used and close enough.
-Applied Ballistics. Uses a different method to get at the same thing as the Hornady. Again, you are reliant on them to get hte data to make the most of it.
-Lapua. A true 6DOF calculator. You guessed, it, dependent on them for the data. The whole app is misguided in my opinion. 6DOF is not the best way to calculate simple trajectories, and we have NO idea how good or bad the data is. Still, very interesting. But I don't get why they put it on a phone.
-Anything Pejsa based. The PRS crowd seem to like overpriced Pejsa-based calculators even though the Pejsa method is basically obsolete with modern computers. Or they did last time I was on Snipers Hide, which was a while ago.
There may be others out there, but I don't really keep up because I think people way overstate the importance of a calculator for 99.9% of what most shooters do. They're more useful as learning tools than shooting tools in my opinion.
For a more detailed overview of what makes them different, I wrote this:
bisonballistics.com
And this:
bisonballistics.com
Those articles are several years old, and probably slightly out of date, but the concepts are still valid.
There are a bunch of good, free, straightforward calculators out there. JBM is a classic. Shameless plug: I'm pretty happy with the one I wrote.
But honestly, they're all the same. It's just F = Ma. Pick what does what you want how you want for the price you want.
The ones that have a significant computational differences are:
- Hornady 4DOF. You are dependent on them for the data to use the "4th degree of freedom", which is a misnomer, but commonly used and close enough.
-Applied Ballistics. Uses a different method to get at the same thing as the Hornady. Again, you are reliant on them to get hte data to make the most of it.
-Lapua. A true 6DOF calculator. You guessed, it, dependent on them for the data. The whole app is misguided in my opinion. 6DOF is not the best way to calculate simple trajectories, and we have NO idea how good or bad the data is. Still, very interesting. But I don't get why they put it on a phone.
-Anything Pejsa based. The PRS crowd seem to like overpriced Pejsa-based calculators even though the Pejsa method is basically obsolete with modern computers. Or they did last time I was on Snipers Hide, which was a while ago.
There may be others out there, but I don't really keep up because I think people way overstate the importance of a calculator for 99.9% of what most shooters do. They're more useful as learning tools than shooting tools in my opinion.
For a more detailed overview of what makes them different, I wrote this:
The Details of a Ballistics Calculator Solver
Comparisons of various methods of ballistic calculation, including the Point Mass method, for sporting applications
bisonballistics.com
And this:
The Hornady 4DOF Ballistics Calculator (Modified Point Mass)
A technical overview of Hornady's Modified Point Mass calculator.
bisonballistics.com
Those articles are several years old, and probably slightly out of date, but the concepts are still valid.
Thank you for this post. New to long range shooting and stepped up to start out with MRAD 308.
Picked up the xero chronograph and still at the 100yrd range and will go to 600 locally.
Trying to figure out all the tools and appreciate the insights.
I am using Berger 185gr and getting like sub 3/4 moa. (100 yrd).
Not opposed the picking up the Applied Balistic app.. but the easier to learn all this stuff. Lol.
The Hornady app looks ok just not sure on 4dof.
Thanks again.
Picked up the xero chronograph and still at the 100yrd range and will go to 600 locally.
Trying to figure out all the tools and appreciate the insights.
I am using Berger 185gr and getting like sub 3/4 moa. (100 yrd).
Not opposed the picking up the Applied Balistic app.. but the easier to learn all this stuff. Lol.
The Hornady app looks ok just not sure on 4dof.
Thanks again.
GeoBallistics
Same thing
SSL
Gold $$ Contributor
Appears to also be available to buy in the Galaxy Store. I have had it for years and when I replaced my phone, it transferred to the new phone without an issue even after the government 'freeze' on it. Same with my Chromebook.
If you liked strelok the get chairgun elite. It is almost identical to strelok
Been needing a new phone, been holding off because I didn't know if I would loose it transferring everything over. May look into it.
I've got Strelok, on my phone and a tablet. But it took me forever to figure out how to get around in it and If I don't use it for a few months I have to start over. Is there any that an electronics dummy can get around in?? i used JBM for ever and its easy to get around in does JBM have an APP so I can put it on my phone?
A crowd of guys in my county shoot long range regularly and hunt out west regularly. Their current equipment is a set of thermal range finding binoculars with a ballistics app that communicates with their scope (I believe Swarovski). The scope then lights a dot to put on the target. Easy peasy. I also know some of them have spent the money to attend shooting schools too.
You can still get strelok pro on android I had to get a new phone Saturday and put it back on there here is the link
https://www.strelokpro.online/StrelokPro/android/default.asp
https://www.strelokpro.online/StrelokPro/android/default.asp
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